Theo's, Wootton Parkway, Rockville

You sorta have to know Theo's is there, or you won't find it. It's in the little shopping center on Wootton Parkway near Wootton High School that includes the Giant. This is a cute little Greek restaurant. Now, I lived in Chicago for several years, where Greek Town was one of my favorite places to go, and Greek food elsewhere in the area was equally delicious. I love it. So I was very hopeful that Theo's would work out. The menu looked promising - all my Greek favorites were there as well as pizza - except one appetizer that was always a favorite in Chicago: Saganaki. This fried cheese dish is served flaming, and in Chicago, the waiters shout "Opa" and others in the restaurant do, too, when they light it. Very festive. But I asked our Theo's waiter if the chef would make it for us, and he did! Very nice. The server didn't shout "Opa" but how could he have known I was expecting it? So I said it for him. It was just like I remembered, with a light batter in a lemon sauce. My kids loved it, too. We also tried the calamari, just to be consistent, and it was great! Perfectly cooked (rings and tentacles) with a traditional sort of marinara sauce on the side. For entrees, I tried the moussaka, and loved it. Annie had chicken in a garlic sauce over pasta and was very pleased with it. Mel tried the gyros and was also happy. Being a bit of a gyros snob, I am usually disappointed by gyros outside of Chicago, but I tried hers and wasn't at all disappointed! This was the real deal - off the spit, grilled perfectly so it wasn't too heavy, and wonderfully tasty. We were stuffed, so we didn't try the desserts, but they are displayed in a case, and looked tempting. Theo's doesn't have a bar, so no cosmos, and the wine selection is limited, but reasonable. I had a red that I was happy with. So we're definitely going back, and this one gets a happy face :-)

Andalucia, Rockville

Andalucia in Rockville offered real potential since its Spanish/Portuguese/Northern Italian menu is not just everyday same-o, same-o fare. I had been there a few years ago but it has apparently changed ownership so we tried it out. It's in an area off of Parklawn near the Twinbrook metro stop that seemed oddly out of the way to me, and the immediate surroundings are not particularly charming, but the restaurant itself is inviting. To have a direct comparison with our prior venture, we ordered the calamari to start. It's broiled in a lemon garlic butter sauce and is not cut into rings, so you get the body without tentacles. It was good - cooked very nicely, not rubbery, and delicately tasty. For dinner, I had the paella, which included shrimp, mussels, clams, and chicken. The rice was sticky - maybe this is just a personal preference and not a standard, but I think of paella as being a lighter, fluffier type of rice. This wasn't. The shrimp, mussels, and clams were fine although I think they had been cooked too long. Overall, it was good, but not wonderful. One of my kids had a pasta with chicken that she liked a lot. My other daughter tried the Portuguese steak which comes with a fried egg on top. She really liked it that this was the first time she had ever seen this dish on a menu, and she also really enjoyed eating it. For dessert, they shared a creme brulee which they loved (the custard was a little heavier than usual in my view, but still yummy). Overall, from a food and charm perspective, this place was a winner. We would go back - except that a dinner for 3 without alcohol cost me $100. Ouch. It wasn't worth it. So we give this one a neutral :-

The Zodiac Grill, Kentlands, Gaithersburg, MD

You walk in and think, ok, so far, so good. On a Monday night, a few folks there, soccer game on the telly, comforting 80's music wafting through the place... We ordered the calamari to start while we looked at the menu, along with a cosmo for me, sodas for the kiddos. The calamari arrived in a cool cone display with salad in the bottom and the calamari on top. It was yummy - the semi-spicy mayo sauce was just right and the calamari were tender. But at $8.95, it was approximately $0.50 per tentacle. But ok - it was maybe worth it. The cosmo, though, tasted like it was made from a mix. Ew. Not the cranberry/cointreau/vodka/lime concoction that I so look forward to. Oh well... Dinner for me was Cajun Jambalaya Pasta - pleasingly spicy but a little on the vinegary side; Annie had bowtie pasta with chicken that was ok but sorta bland; Mel had a Philly cheesesteak panini. Now anyone like Mel who was born in Philadelphia can't be expected to appreciate a cheesesteak prepared as a panini, so her tepid enthusiasm was perhaps not surprising. But still - a little disappointing all around. We're working on our rating system for this blog: thumbs up/thumbs down? Star rating? Fork rating? No, I think we're going with smiley/sad face ratings. This one, sadly, gets a sad face :-(

The search begins

Blessed with two great kids but not with a love of cooking or with loads of cash, I'm constantly seeking that perfect restaurant: one that's close to home, serves a yummy and nutritious menu, and is affordable for a single mom. And, since dinnertime is time to relax, the lighting shouldn't be too bright or the music/tv too loud. And of course, the bartender should make a mean Cosmo, the wine list should be reasonable, and the service should be friendly. Living in Montgomery County, MD - so close to the nation's capitol, multicultural, well educated - you would think there would be loads of great restaurants. So where are they?! I'm finding plenty of chain restaurants that serve up the same old burgers, fajitas, or pasta, but I want the great neighborhood restaurant that you can't find in other neighborhoods - one that makes my neighborhood special. Tonight, my kids and I began the journey to find it. And if we're lucky, we'll find more than one. In the meantime, we'll keep you posted.